University of California, Irvine (place)

The University of California, Irvine (UCI) is one of the newest campuses in the system. Opened in the autumn of 1965, UCI initially opened with the College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences, the School of Engineering, and the Graduate School of Administration with a total of 2,835 students. Later on in the year, the California College of Medicine became part of UCI. The land was originally a 1,000 acre gift by the Irvine Company of its 88,000 acre historic Irvine Ranch, deeded on January 29, 1961. Three years later, the Regents purchased an additional 510 acres.

William L. Periera was the original planner of UCI, and is responsible for its unique layout which consists of a central park and growing out in concentric circles with the undergrad buildings in the inside, and gradute buildings outside. This is supposed to symbolize the growth of ones education...somewhat like the growth rings of a tree.

Today, UCI has far outgrown its few original schools, and sports the first school of information and computer science in the UC system, as well as the highest percentage of Asian undergrads in any of the UC campuses. The Asian aspect of UCI has also given rise to some silly alternate meanings to "UCI" such as, the "University of Chinese Immigrants", or the "University of Customized Integras", a reference the insane amount of rice rockets found on campus.

Peter the Anteater

Traditionally, the UCs would have a bear-related mascot. Riverside, was the Highlanders, and sports a bear in scottish attire; Los Angeles was the Bruins. However, Irvine, as many know, is of course, the Anteaters. Winning 58% of the vote in a November 30, 1965, student-wide election, the Anteater was the brainchild of water polo players Pat Glasgow and Bob Ernst who derived it from a B.C. comic is derived from the sound, and perhaps mocking the everpresent ant population, they set out with an imaginative campaign led by student and cheerleader Schuyler Bassett III, which included bumper stickers, posters, and decals.

Of course the administration had cows and argued about the "bear tradition" of the UCs. Then someone found out the anteater is also known as antbear, and that was end of that.

So, UCI remains the anteaters, with their fearsome battle cry of "ZOT!" Which is of course, the sound an anteater makes when snagging an ant.